Michigan Dental Association (MDA)
Your guide to organized dentistry in Michigan: membership, the annual meeting, local component societies, the state dental board, and CE/license-renewal requirements.
About the Michigan Dental Association
The Michigan Dental Association, founded in 1856, is the oldest professional association in Michigan and the oldest dental association in continuous existence in the United States. It was founded through the efforts of two Detroit dentists, Hiram Benedict and Lorrain Christopher Whiting. Its records (1856-2006) are archived at the University of Michigan's Bentley Historical Library, underscoring its long institutional history.
The MDA's mission is to unite Michigan dentists through professional community and to deliver programs, support, advocacy, and continuing education that advance members' careers, with an emphasis on ethics, professionalism and excellence. It represents about 5,800 member dentists — roughly 70% of Michigan's practicing dentists — and is the ADA constituent society for the state; all MDA members automatically hold ADA membership (tripartite structure).
Governance: a Board of Trustees provides executive leadership and a House of Delegates acts as the representative governing/policy body. The House elects the MDA leadership team annually (President, President-elect, Vice President, etc.).
The MDA is active in state advocacy with LARA and the Michigan legislature on dental insurance reform, Medicaid, scope of practice, and licensure/regulatory issues, and runs member programs (MDA Programs/endorsed vendors, the MDA Foundation, and the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association).
Annual Meeting: MDA Annual Session (Annual Convention and Trade Show)
Spring (April-May); rotates among Michigan cities — Lansing Center (2024), Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center (2025), DeVos Place, Grand Rapids (2026, April 29-May 2).
The Annual Session combines accredited continuing-education courses, a trade-show/exhibit hall, and association governance (House of Delegates) and networking — the MDA's flagship statewide gathering. ~1,800 dental professionals attended the 2025 Annual Session.
Component & Local Dental Societies
Joining the MDA typically also enrolls a dentist in their local component society.Michigan has 4 component societies:
Detroit District Dental Society (DDDS)
Wayne & Monroe counties; established 1895; organized into multiple branches
www.detroitdentalsociety.org/Oakland County Dental Society
Oakland County; founded 1931; ~900 member dentists
www.oaklanddentalsociety.com/The MDA is composed of ~24 individual district/component dental societies; the complete named list is not published on a single public page, so only the subset verified from primary component sites is listed here. Additional district societies (e.g., covering Genesee/Flint, Kent/West Michigan-Grand Rapids, Washtenaw/Ann Arbor, the Upper Peninsula) exist within the ~24-society total.
Licensing Board
Michigan Board of Dentistry, under the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Professional Licensing
The board licenses and regulates dentists — distinct from the MDA, which is a voluntary membership and advocacy body.
www.michigan.gov/laraCE & License Renewal
- Hours: 60 hours
- Cycle: Triennial (every 3 years), keyed to the licensee's cycle
- Mandatory topics: ≥3 hours in pain and symptom management; ≥1 hour in dental ethics and jurisprudence (including delegation of duties to allied personnel); ≥1 hour in infection control; ≥20 hours via synchronous/live courses; 3 hours of implicit bias training (one-time/ongoing per LARA rule); current Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR certification required.
Always verify current requirements with the Michigan Board of Dentistry, under the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Professional Licensing before renewal.
Dental Schools in Michigan
Michigan Dental Market Snapshot
- ~8,000+ licensed dentists statewide (5,800 members ≈ 70%).
- Major metros: Metro Detroit (Wayne/Oakland/Macomb — the largest concentration), Grand Rapids/West Michigan, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor, plus the Upper Peninsula.
- Metro Detroit's tri-county area (Detroit District, Oakland County ~900 members, Macomb) is the densest market.
- Large Arabic-speaking community (Dearborn/Metro Detroit) plus Spanish-speaking populations create strong demand for multilingual front-desk handling.
AI Front Desk for Michigan Practices
Michigan's dental market is anchored by Metro Detroit's tri-county district societies and a strong West Michigan/Grand Rapids cluster, with most practices being independent or small-group MDA members. A TensorLinks AI dental receptionist suits these offices well — covering after-hours and overflow calls, scheduling, insurance questions, and multilingual (notably Arabic and Spanish) patient intake — helping front-desk-limited practices across the Detroit District, Oakland County, Macomb, and Grand Rapids capture more booked appointments.
Michigan Dental Association FAQ
How many CE hours do Michigan dentists need to renew a license?
Michigan dentists must complete 60 hours, triennial (every 3 years), keyed to the licensee's cycle. Mandatory topics include ≥3 hours in pain and symptom management; ≥1 hour in dental ethics and jurisprudence (including delegation of duties to allied personnel); ≥1 hour in infection control; ≥20 hours via synchronous/live courses; 3 hours of implicit bias training (one-time/ongoing per LARA rule); current Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR certification required.. Always confirm current rules with the Michigan Board of Dentistry, under the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Professional Licensing.
What is the difference between the MDA and the Michigan Board of Dentistry, under the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Professional Licensing?
The Michigan Dental Association is a voluntary membership and advocacy organization for dentists. The Michigan Board of Dentistry, under the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Professional Licensing is the government body that licenses dentists and enforces regulations. Membership in the association is optional; licensure through the board is mandatory to practice.
Sources
- www.michigandental.org/locations/mda-headquarters/ — HQ address, ~5,900 members; ED history (Burgess/Sullivan)
- www.michigandental.org/membership/mda-governance/local-societies/ — ~24 district societies; governance
- www.detroitdentalsociety.org/ — named component & founding/membership details
- www.oaklanddentalsociety.com/ — named component & founding/membership details
- www.macombdental.org/ — named component & founding/membership details
- findingaids.lib.umich.edu/catalog/umich-bhl-861060 — MDA founded 1856; records 1856-2006
- www.michigandental.org/news-you-need/mda-house-elects-mda-leadership-team-for-2025-26-administrative-year/ — President Dr. Cheri Newman, CEO John Tramontana; dental schools
- www.michigandental.org/membership/about-the-mda/ — mission, 5,800 members/~70%, oldest in US, governance, ADA constituent
- annualsession.michigandental.org/ — MDA Annual Session location/dates; 2025 ~1,800 attendees
- www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/lara/bpl/Dentistry/Licensing-Info-and-Forms/Info/Dentistry-Licensing-Guide.pdf — LARA licensing, 60 hrs triennial
- www.michigandental.org/ce-courses/ce-requirements/ — detailed CE breakdown (pain, ethics, infection control, live hours, implicit bias, BLS)
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